Fernando Mendoza’s Interview After Indiana’s Dominant Win Was Must-See TV As Always

Another Indiana victory meant another must-watch postgame interview from Heisman Trophy winner and star quarterback Fernando Mendoza.

Could we expect anything else? He stole the show after the Hoosiers’ impressive victory over Ohio State in the Big Ten championship game. Then, he gave a Heisman acceptance speech that will be remembered for years to come. So, after the Hoosiers routed Alabama 38-3 in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl, viewers were in for yet another joyous moment from Mendoza.

“Well first of all, my team and I want to give all the glory to God, what a historic venue the Rose Bowl is, one of the best venues in all of sports,” he said on the ESPN broadcast as he looked directly into the camera. “[This team] is just a great conglomerate of individuals coming together and really forming complementary football. Coach [Curt Cignetti] has hit on us: no complacency. And especially when you have a bye, it’s tough to get in the rhythm of football. But once we got our feet on the ground, we knew that we were going to stick together and come out with this W.”

Watch the interview below:

How can you not love Fernando Mendoza pic.twitter.com/ocx4vylR0P
— Bussin' With The Boys (@BussinWTB) January 2, 2026

He went on to credit his teammates even further, putting the college football’s top honor into perspective as the Hoosiers continue their historic season.

“The only reason I won the Heisman is because I’m one out of 22 players on the Indiana football team,” he said. “It’s a team award, our team performs fantastically throughout the entire season and I was blessed and honored by God to be able to receive that award. And now, all I got to do is do my part in this great unit in order to try to get a win every single week.”

“The only reason I won the Heisman is because I’m 1 out of 22 players on the Indiana football team. It’s a team award... I was blessed and honored by God to be able to receive that award. All I gotta do is do my part in this great unit in order to try to get a win every single… pic.twitter.com/1qGnnR7XvM
— CFB Kings (@CFBKings) January 2, 2026

Mendoza was nearly perfect against the Crimson Tide on Thursday as he went 14-for-16 passing with 192 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. Now, Indiana moves on to play No. 5 seed Oregon in the Peach Bowl and CFP semifinal for an appearance in the national championship game. Oregon and Indiana played earlier this season on Oct. 11 when Mendoza and the Hoosiers emerged with a 30-20 victory over the then No. 3-ranked Ducks.

Indiana remains perfect and should that continue, more enjoyable Mendoza moments will certainly follow.